The Jets have willing trade partners if they want to deal cornerback Darrelle Revis next week. A source told the New York Daily News that Revis is as good as "gone", and that two top NFC teams are among the primary suitors.

The reigning NFC champion 49ers, with 15 selections in April's draft, are still in the mix. The Falcons, who had the conference's top regular-season record, have become another team to watch.

According to the Daily News, Jets general manager John Idzik is looking for a package of draft picks in return, and Revis' representation will have confidence the team that completes the trade will also sign the four-time Pro Bowl corner to a lucrative long-term deal.

Revis is coming off a major knee injury (torn ACL), but Idzik said in a Monday conference call with Jets season-ticket holders that doctors have noted Revis is "ahead of schedule" with his rehabilitation.

It makes sense for the Jets to trade Revis far out of the AFC East, and move him to an NFC contender with an aggressive front office. With a strong group of solid starters available in free agency, they should be line to quickly find a replacement. The league's trading and signing period begins March 12.

ESPN'S Chris Mortensen, however, reported later Wednesday the 49ers are not serious suitors for Revis.

WELKER TO TRY FREE AGENCY

The Patriots decided not to use the franchise tag on wide receiver Wes Welker for a second consecutive offseason. Now they shouldn't expect to re-sign him before he officially becomes an unrestricted free agent March 12.

According to ESPN, Welker plans to see how much he's worth on the open market before thinking about returning to the Patriots. Last year, playing under the tag, he earned $9.5 million.

The concern for outside teams is the fact Welker is 31, and they will be reluctant to pay too much over the long term, despite the fact he produced 118 catches for 1,354 yards and six touchdowns in 2012. There are bigger free-agent wideout prizes in Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace and Green Bay's Greg Jennings. St. Louis' Danny Amendola provides a cheaper alternative for a slot type. If he returns to New England, Welker should expect a deal in the $8 million range annually.

If there's an outside team to watch for Welker's services, it would be another AFC Super Bowl contender, the Broncos. Putting Welker as the slot threat to complement Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker would put their passing offense in an even higher gear—resembling what Peyton Manning once had in Indianapolis with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and current Bronco Brandon Stokley.

BRONCOS TO SEEK NEW DEAL

The Broncos got 11 sacks from defensive end Elvis Dumervil last season, but he likely will need to take a pay cut from the $12 million owed to him in 2013 to stay on the team. CBS4 Denver reports the Broncos would like to restructure Dumervil's contract to avoid a $13.6 million hit to their salary cap.

Dumervil, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who led the league with 17 sacks in 2009, is no longer Denver's primary pass rusher. That role has been taken over by linebacker Von Miller, who 18 1/2 last season.

Although the pass-rush production was there, Dumervil (5-11, 260) struggled with his all-around game in making the transition from 3-4 outside linebacker to 4-3 end.

The Broncos like the potential of second-year player Derek Wolfe, who had six sacks as a rookie at the position. They also would like to keep Dumervil on the edge but need to do it at a more favorable price.

BANKS, BALL BETTER AT PRO DAYS

It's still early in the pro day circuit, but prospects are already making the most of their second chances in testing. Two of the 2013 NFL Draft's best at their respective positions worked out at their pro days.

After mediocre 40 times at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks did their best to clear up speed concerns.

Ball was among the worst true running backs at the Combine by posting a 4.66 time in the 40-yard dash. However, as Optimum Scouting reported before pro day workouts started, there is concern that some Cybex testing at the Combine led to minor injuries before the main drills. This could be why Ball had such a big change in his 40 time Wednesday.

For a running back who relies on playing behind his pads and making decisive cuts, his 4.46 time, according to BadgerNation, is impressive. Only three running backs ran in the 4.4s at the Combine. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider, however, reported that Ball ran a 4.57 during his pro day. If teams can get past Ball's massive carry total over his career and the 4.46 time is more accurate, he could be in top-50 consideration.

As for Banks, his 4.61 time made him one of the trendy "losers" from the Combine compared to the other top cornerbacks (especially Dee Milliner). However, Banks is a physical presence as a cornerback who transitions well and rarely gives the receiver separation when working downfield. His reported pro day time of 4.51 puts him right in the middle-to-top end of the cornerback times at the Combine.

Considered the top senior cornerback by many, Banks still would be a surprise to sneak out of the first round, and this 4.51 could solidify him as a top 20 talent on some boards.

Keep in mind that this is what pro days are all about for players who were invited to the Combine. Both Ball and Banks showed something they weren’t able to in Indianapolis, and get a chance to show their true speed in their comfort zone.

Currently, Ball has a third- to fourth-round grade from Optimum Scouting (though he’s expected to be off the board in the top 100). Banks still has a first-round grade, and likely won’t fall out of the top 32 picks on draft day.

GOODELL TALKS SAFETY AT UNC

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league will continue to do "everything we can" to make football safer.

Player safety in the NFL has been a frequent topic of conversation recently and Goodell discussed it again Wednesday during a lecture and question-and-answer session at the department of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina.

"We know that in order to secure the future, we can and must do more to make the game safer, and in the process, we will make other sports safer as well," Goodell said.

Goodell called for "a culture of safety for every sport" and welcomes the national conversation about player safety and the growing issue of concussions.

The NFL is facing concussion-related lawsuits from thousands of former players. In a series of interviews about head injuries with The Associated Press in December 2011, 31 of 44 players said they wanted the league to have independent neurologists at games.

Goodell said the league "will continue to make rule changes, invest in equipment and provide our medical staffs with the tools and authorities" to prevent injuries.

Goodell said concussions are down 40 percent in the two seasons in which kickoffs were moved 5 yards to the 35-yard line, a change designed to create more touchbacks and fewer returns.

A.J. SMITH JOINS REDSKINS

The Redskins announced A.J. Smith joined the team as a senior executive.

Smith spent nine years as general manager of the Chargers before he was fired on Dec. 31.

Smith joins his son, Kyle, who has been an area scout for the Redskins for the past two seasons.

WHAT WE'RE READING

The five articles you'll want to save and share with your friends.

1. Great behind-the-scenes read on the career of former Raiders coach Hue Jackson from SI.com. Confident, result-oriented, track record of success. A Type-A personality in a business that both celebrates and punishes Jackson's disposition. [READ MORE]

2. Tom Coughlin tells the Newark Star-Ledger he's consulting college coaches on how to stop the read-option, i.e. Robert Griffin III and Chip Kelly. The wily Coughlin, however, doesn't name names. [READ MORE]

3. Don't be surprised if the NFL's first $25 millon (and a huge percentage of cap space) within two years, NFP's Jack Bechta writes. In fact, he predicts four of five of them on that level. What's interesting is how assistants like Juan Castillo fit into the picture. [READ MORE]

4. A year after Bountygate, Scott Fujita tells USA Today he feels sympathy for Roger Goodell, saying he doesn't know how he'd respond if "I was in the position he's in with the league being sued by over a third of the living former players." [READ MORE]

5. Bill Polian tells the Detroit Free Press that wide receivers drafted in the first have the biggest "miss rate" of any position over time. He also commissioned a "bust rate" among unrestricted free agent signings and found a success rate barely above 50 percent. [READ MORE]

TWEET OF THE DAY

What sports figures are cramming into 140 characters that you’ve got to hear.